Costa Mesa Private Eye's Guilty Plea Offers Hope for Accountability

Private detective pleads guilty in relation to scheme to frame two local pro-pension reform councilmen.

At first glance, high-profile police controversies each generally present themselves as isolated events. Various police shootings have been in the news, and have sparked angry protests. The Associated Press reported recently that officers use confidential "databases to get information on romantic partners, business associates, neighbors, journalists and others for reasons that have nothing to do with daily police work." Then there are myriad misbehavior and corruption scandals. It's hard to draw conclusions about disconnected events.

But there are common and obvious threads among them all. Lord Acton was right when he said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Some people misuse power, which speaks to the need for independent checks and balances. The public gets upset, too, when police descriptions of events don't jibe with what we later see on the video; such examples raise concerns about whether departments can be trusted to level with the public in any type of scandal.

And it feels that we rarely see justice done when powerful people—police included—do bad things. The problem in policing comes from union protections, the Peace Officers' Bill of Rights, the code of silence within police culture, and the camaraderie that exists between district attorneys and police agencies. I've covered many cases from beginning to end, and the public is right to be skeptical about the level of accountability within any government agency, police agencies included.

The idea that justice might be done is what's heartening about the latest news from a disturbing law-enforcement-related case in Costa Mesa. Private detective Christopher Joseph Lanzillo, a former Riverside police officer, pleaded guilty last week (reversing his previous not-guilty plea) to four felony counts, including false imprisonment related to a 2012 scheme allegedly to set up City Councilman Jim Righeimer and Mayor Stephen Mensinger. A second detective, Scott Impola, awaits trial. He has pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

At the time, the Costa Mesa Police Association was involved in a nasty political battle with the City Council's majority, which was trying to reform Costa Mesa's overburdened pension system and outsource some public services. Righeimer and Mensinger were leaders of the reform movement. On Aug. 22, Righeimer had just spoken to a community meeting and then headed to a pub owned by another political ally, Councilman Gary Monahan.

Righeimer had a couple of diet sodas and drove home. After he got there, he said he received a knock on the door from a Costa Mesa police officer asking him to step outside for a DUI test. Righeimer, who wasn't drunk, was detained for a while and released. According to prosecutors and news reports, the police response was sparked by a 911 call from Lanzillo. The call reportedly claimed Righeimer stumbled out of the bar and was "just swerving all over the road." Surveillance video showed no such thing.

Lanzillo worked for a law firm that was then employed by the local police union. Prosecutors say Lanzillo was trying to catch the union's political foes in an embarrassing situation. The scheme also included allegations of placing a GPS tracking device on Mensinger's car. The Costa Mesa Police Association admits hiring the law firm that employed the private detectives to do "candidate research," but adamantly denies knowing about any illegal behavior.

It's not so easy to chalk this up as a bad-apple situation. As Righeimer told the Register, "We must remember what this case is about." It's about the police union "hiring private investigators to get information to extort elected officials for the benefit of their members' salary and pensions … Mr. Lanzillo and Mr. Impola worked at a law firm that represented over 130 police-officer associations." The now-defunct firm of Lackie, Dammeier, McGill & Ethir of Upland represented 19 unions in Orange County.

The most shocking aspect of the story was on the internet for everyone to see. The firm had published a "playbook" that detailed how police unions should intimidate local city councils into caving to their compensation demands. Tactics include employing "blue flu" (work slowdowns) and having police go around neighborhoods and knock on doors looking for suspects—a way to scare people about crime waves and build support for police demands. The playbook's language was amazing—a Register reporter referred to it as "part swagger, part braggadocio and all insult."

Amid billing-related allegations, the law firm closed its doors. The Lanzillo plea is good news, too. The wheels of justice are turning. But the firm had represented so many police unions. (As an aside, the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association recently hired Mike McGill, former partner of that firm, to represent them in contract negotiations, according to Mensinger.) How many police officials and union members spoke out about the political tactics that were advertised—indeed bragged about—before the Costa Mesa situation brought attention to the playbook? It seems obvious, but police will have better luck handling all types of controversies if they put public service above political hardball.

Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time. Report abuses.

My friend ‘Sarah Bartlett’ makes $95/hour on the internet. She has been laid off for six months but last month her paycheck was $14750 just working on the internet for a few hours.. Go to this website and click tech tab to start your own work…. http://www.Trends88.Com

This is a fanboy. The leader of the free world, yes, but also a fanboy, who’s freaking out because he’s hanging out with Uhura. I have zero doubt the man knows more science fiction than he’s letting on.

No dear. This man is a career power-monger. Yes that list is a ‘safe’ list – its not his list though. Its a list a group of interns drummed up in 30 minutes in response to an opportunity to show the country ‘how cool the president is’. He doesn’t have another list. He isn’t freaking out about hanging out with Uhura. Its a photo-op. She comes in, he smiles and is charming. They take a picture together, she’s shooed out of the room and the next one comes in.

All he has is a list of people who owe him and a list of enemies. His major hobby is making the first list larger and lining out names in the second.

Fanboy my ass. With this list, he is naming all of the sci-fi movies and tv shows he has ever heard of. Blade Runner is a fair choice. Close Encounters? please. He might as well of said ET. A New Hope? There is no fucking way ANY fan boy chooses Episode IV over Episode V. And Cosmos isn’t Sci-fi (not in the truest sense). It was more of an imagination voyage through science fact. And frankly, anyone who says they enjoyed 2001 is a liar. It was groundbreaking in a number of ways. But the movie was BORING. Oh and he says ST: TOS. Gee, that’s like the free square in the middle of a bingo card.

FFS, any fanboy would have had something on this list that was interesting. TV: Firefly, Babylon 5, SG-1 something that people like to argue about; Movies: Interstellar, Forbidden Planet, even Barbarella (Hey who can’t love the Excessive Machine!!! (I can’t tell you how many times I……. well, you get the idea), Planet of the Apes, there are so many to choose from.

Personally, I would not like that precedent, as I cannot influence the organization I am forced to pay dues to that claims to represent me (and conducts its operations opaquely in many day to day aspects). The officers of the Union proper, yes, as there is a much higher chance of them being involved in the conspiracy. The dues payers might not have been culpable in the actual crime at hand. (Other crimes, however…)

Well, the hired goons went after the King’s Men that hire the goons so of course there’s an interest in justice – but I’m not so sure there’s any reason for us serfs to get all hopeful that we’d receive the same interest in justice.

And actually, if you think about it, it should be a little unnerving that the police feel so comfortably unaccountable that they went after the city council itself. How many places would this sort of thing never occur simply because the city council would never dream of opposing the police? Remember the shitstorm in NYC when the mayor suggested the cops may be getting a little out of line and the cops literally turned their backs on him and staged a work slow-down? Isn’t that just the grossest sort of insubordination, public, defiant inubordination, something you simply cannot tolerate if you want to maintain any semblance of the fiction that the police are accountable to the people through their elected representatives?

until I looked at the paycheck saying $4730 , I did not believe that…my… brother woz like actualy bringing in money part time from there computar. . there friend brother started doing this for less than 7 months and resently paid for the morgage on there home and bought a new Cadillac …….

Facebook gives you a great opportunity to earn 98652$ at your home.If you are some intelligent you makemany more Dollars.I am also earning many more, my relatives wondered to see how i settle my Life in few days thank GOD to you for this…You can also make cash i never tell alie you should check this I am sure you shocked to see this amazing offer…I’m Loving it!!!! ????????> http://www.factoryofincome.com

Peyton . even though Billy `s report is cool… on monday I got a gorgeous Maserati after I been earnin $8985 thiss month and even more than ten k lass month . it’s certainly the easiest work Ive ever had . I started this 9-months ago and practically straight away started bringin home at least $78 per-hr . look at this now

Matthew . I can see what your saying… Bobby `s storry is surprising, last saturday I got a brand new Land Rover Defender since I been making $4556 this past 5 weeks and more than ten-grand this past-month . this is definitely my favourite-job I have ever had . I began this 4 months ago and immediately made more than $71 per-hr . More Info ????????> http://www.factoryofincome.com

Bella . I can see what your saying… Jesus `s blurb is good, on wednesday I bought a new Lotus Elan after making $9196 this last 4 weeks an would you believe 10/k lass month . this is really the nicest work I’ve ever done . I started this 5 months ago and almost straight away brought home minimum $73.. per hour . read ????????> http://www.factoryofincome.com

Anna . I see what you mean… Virginia `s postlng is incredible, last tuesday I got a new Audi Quattro after having made $5000 this last 5 weeks and over 10k this past month . without a doubt it is the coolest work I have ever had . I started this seven months/ago and pretty much immediately started making minimum $85 per hour . view it ????????> http://www.factoryofincome.com

Liliana . if you think Lawrence `s blog is incredible, I just purchased a new Honda after earning $5741 this – 4 weeks past and also 10 grand lass month . it’s by-far the most-comfortable job I have ever done . I started this four months/ago and almost immediately began to make minimum $85… p/h .

until I looked at the paycheck saying $4730 , I did not believe that…my… brother woz like actualy bringing in money part time from there computar. . there friend brother started doing this for less than 7 months and resently paid for the morgage on there home and bought a new Cadillac …….

Liliana . if you think Lawrence `s blog is incredible, I just purchased a new Honda after earning $5741 this – 4 weeks past and also 10 grand lass month . it’s by-far the most-comfortable job I have ever done . I started this four months/ago and almost immediately began to make minimum $85… p/h .

until I looked at the paycheck saying $4730 , I did not believe that…my… brother woz like actualy bringing in money part time from there computar. . there friend brother started doing this for less than 7 months and resently paid for the morgage on there home and bought a new Cadillac …….

Liliana . if you think Lawrence `s blog is incredible, I just purchased a new Honda after earning $5741 this – 4 weeks past and also 10 grand lass month . it’s by-far the most-comfortable job I have ever done . I started this four months/ago and almost immediately began to make minimum $85… p/h .

While coming to education, the technology has brought many advantages to students and as well as teachers. showbox For example, students can do their homework or assignment with ease and can complete it faster by using the Internet.